Ex-O's prospect now on 'The Bachelorette'

A former Orioles farmhand is looking for love — in a very public way.

Minor League Baseball fans might well recognize one of the contestants on the new season of ABC’s "The Bachelorette" from the diamond: Former Orioles farmhand Mike Planeta is one of the 30 single men vying for bachelorette Katie Thurston’s hand in marriage this season. The popular show’s 17th season premiered Monday night.

Drafted by the Orioles in the 27th round out of Glendale Community College (Arizona) in 2009, Planeta spent five seasons in the club’s farm system, reaching Advanced-A Frederick in 2013. He was a right-handed hitting outfielder whose best season came in 2012, when he hit .250 with two homers and a .642 OPS across Class A Delmarva and Frederick. Planeta played for parts of three seasons with Delmarva and two for the Keys before his release.

These days, the 31-year-old Planeta owns a gym in San Diego, according to the show. That is, when he’s not appearing on nationally-televised dating competitions. He was a three-sport athlete in high school and also played collegiate basketball at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.

Planeta quickly made headlines during Monday’s premiere by revealing he is a virgin and holds a strong Christian faith. He received a rose on night one.

“When people find out that this great-looking guy used to play professional baseball, they assume that he must be a 'player,' but that could not be further from the truth,” according to his bio on ABC’s website. “Mike grew up in a very loving family where the cornerstone of his upbringing was his faith. He has always been a one-woman type of guy, but due to his successful run in [baseball], dating was never really a priority in his life.”

A publicist for the show declined MLB.com’s request for an interview while Planeta remains an active contestant.